Written By komlim puldel on Minggu, 28 Juli 2013 | 23.08

Jen Hawkins spoke with news.com.au's Melissa Hoyer earlier this year about juggling fame, fortune and family.

SHE builds the businesses and he builds the homes.

Former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins has revealed the details of the growing business and property empire she is building with new husband, builder-slash-model, Jake Wall.

Fresh from their Bali nuptials and honeymoon, Ms Hawkins is launching a new business: a range of self tanning lotions called J Bronze.

In an exclusive interview with News Limited, she also reveals the couple have added to their growing property portfolio with the purchase of a sixth investment property - a knock-down-rebuilt in their home suburb of North Curl Curl on the Northern beaches of Sydney.

The celebrity couple and keen property investors paid $1.66 million in March for the land before flying to Bali for their wedding and have lodged a development application for $900,000 of new works, including a swimming pool.

Jennifer Hawkins launches her self-tanning range. Picture: Supplied

Gallery: Jen, our desert queen

Almost a decade since she won the Miss Universe title, Hawkins has leveraged her success to build a more than $10 million business and property empire.

Jennifer Inc today spans lucrative endorsement deals with some of Australia's biggest companies, including department store Myer, Loveable lingerie, Coca-Cola Amatil's Mount Franklin water and Pharmacare brands Bioglan vitamins and Redwin Skincare and a new contract hosting the current season Australia's Next Top Model.

On top of that, there's the three trademarked brands she now owns in her own right: a swimwear range COZI by Jennifer Hawkins, the shoes JLH by Jennifer Hawkins and now JBronze, a new range of self-tanning products to be launched this week.

"I invest my money. I'm not one to throw it around," she tells News Limited.

"Even before Miss Universe, I saved hard for my first car. I worked three jobs to get that."

In a celebrity industry with a notoriously short shelf life, Hawkins reveals how she has built on lucrative brand endorsements to promote her growing list of brands.

"From the start, I wanted to build businesses that are relevant to my lifestyle and that I'm really passionate about."

The new JBronze range of skin bronzers and self tanning lotions will be sold in more than a thousand pharmacies and retailers, including Myer.

The Myer spokeswoman is scheduled meet with Myer boss Bernie Brookes in the second week of August to discuss cessation or continuation of her contract which expires in November.

Amid speculation the company may choose not to continue the contract, Hawkins says she is very keen to remain the face of Myer.

"I would love to. I'm a shareholder so I'm always going to be a part of it."

Hawkins will walk the catwalk on May 8 to launch Myer's 2014 Spring/Summer collection.

Queensland Prison Officers Association president Steve Burrows believes single-sex prisons are the "best way to go" after in was revealed corrections officers are increasingly engaging in sexual affairs with inmates.Source: Supplied

QUEENSLAND prison staff are increasingly engaging in sexual affairs with inmates amid concerns their actions are compromising safety and security.

There were five more cases substantiated in the past 18 months, mostly involving female prison guards, prompting renewed calls for the consideration of single-sex prisons.

At least 38 investigations into inappropriate affairs at Queensland prisons have occurred since 2009, uncovering "sexually explicit" letters, favours and exchanges of gifts with prisoners, a Sunday Mail Right to Information investigation has revealed.

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Love spat leads to $2 million police raid

All staff involved, including a kitchen worker, have since resigned and two more cases are still under investigation.

Police and Corrective Services Minister Jack Dempsey ruled out single-sex jails saying prison guards should be appointed "on their competency and qualifications and not their gender".

"Having a staffing contingent of varied backgrounds, life experience and genders is imperative in any modern workforce," he said.

Queensland has more than 2000 corrective service officers or prison guards and of those only 471 are women.

Queensland Corrective Services Acting Commissioner Mark Rallings said QCS had a zero-tolerance policy on allegations of inappropriate relationships between staff and prisoners but acknowledged it was a real issue.

However, he wouldn't discuss cases where relationships between guards and prisoners had led to other criminal activity.

One case revealed in documents obtained under Right to Information laws revealed an officer smuggled money to a prisoner. In a separate incident, a prisoner organised for an officer to get a free tattoo at a parlour associated with the Finks bikie group.

"Our staff are trained to recognise the actions some prisoners may take to try and compromise them (but) unfortunately a very small percentage of our workforce crosses the professional boundaries line," Mr Rallings said.

Mr Rallings said allegations of an inappropriate relationship could range from a simple breach of the professional boundary (officer observed spending too much time with a prisoner) to a sexual relationship.

Selvamalar knows her son is dead, but cannot accept the tragedy. Picture: Rante ArdilesSource: Supplied

SHE was sold a cruel lie by the people smugglers. She would be travelling on a luxury ocean liner from Indonesia to Australia. They showed her photos of the ship that would transport her, her beautiful son and her brother to their new life in Australia.

It was a superb vessel, with three storeys of cabins.

"I believed them," she says.

She had dreamed of nothing else but being with her husband, who had escaped to Australia four years earlier on a boat to build a new life in Perth for his wife and unborn son, their first child. He had left Sri Lanka when she was five months' pregnant.

He had cut up photos and built a montage that depicted his family together, as one. He had never seen his son. He never would - at least, not alive.

Meet Selvamalar, a refugee who left her home in Sri Lanka to travel 2000 kilometres by sea to Indonesia.

Wind back a few days. We are in the village of Cidaun, on the southern coast of West Java, at one of the closest points between Indonesia and Christmas Island.

Two Sri Lankan women are weeping as they trade accounts of their grief, but neither is able to offer comfort to the other. One explains that her three children and husband are missing, lost at sea after their smuggling boat sank. The second woman says her only son is missing.

Someone calls the second woman's name. She turns, in horror.

She knows that over where the voice came from is the makeshift morgue they have set up in the clinic in the fishing village of Cidaun, on the southern coast of West Java.

An ambulance has just arrived with another body rescuers have pulled from the water.

The woman runs, then stops, not wanting to go closer, but compelled to do so. She knows without doubt what she'll find. She begins to scream. She rushes and grabs her small son's grey and wet body and clutches him, her overwhelming lament unbearable to behold.

Local villagers circle her, staring at her pain. And then she and her dead boy are gone.

It is midday on Wednesday. There are so many stories of loss after an asylum boat, believed to be carrying 187 people, most of them Sri Lankans and Iranians, broke down and sank soon after setting out from this village for Christmas Island on Tuesday morning.

There are also remarkable stories of survival. Most of the passengers somehow escaped with their lives after the smugglers, with no regard for human life, cruelly overburdened the small wooden cargo vessel in their soulless pursuit of maximum profit.

When we ask, none of the Sri Lankans seem to know much about the screaming woman. They have a nickname for her, Radha, and say she, her son and brother travelled with, but were not part of, a bigger group of Tamil asylum seekers.

By Thursday morning, we have tracked the woman down. She is on the other side of Java, in Jakarta, at the police hospital. She is with another young couple who have also lost their son, a one-year-old.

The Disaster Victim Identification Unit wants to DNA--match the dead children to their parents.

The woman comes out a doorway in a daze. Her name is Selvamalar. She is 39. Her son's name is Darmithan. He was four.

She speaks passable English. She says the police won't let her see Darmithan. They took him from her when they arrived here in the ambulance, the day before. "I want my baby, I want to see my baby," she cries.

Government says PNG can handle whatever smugglers throw at us

Selvamalar tells how it came to this. Late last year she, her brother Rahulan, 25, and Darmithan left their home in Vavuniya, in Sri Lanka's Northern Province. She says her husband, Balamanokaran, faced serious ethnic and political problems as a Tamil in Sri Lanka.

He is living in Perth on a five-year visa. Selvamalar said she'd tried to join her husband through legal means, but was refused a visa. "I don't know why," she says.

In mid-November, feeling she had no alternative, she set off from Galle, in the south of the troubled island nation, with her son, brother and 43 other Australia-bound asylum seekers.

Each paid the equivalent of around $7200 for passage to Indonesia. She says the engine stopped as they got close to Indonesia in their 2000km journey.

"We were 45 days in the boat," Selvamalar says. "After 25 days, there was no food. Then a ship stopped and give us food. After 36 days, we got more food from a New Orient ship. We just floated. On January 1, we are rescued by a ship and come to Indonesia."

They were taken to Medan, the capital of north Sumatra, and put in an overcrowded immigration detention facility with other Sri Lankans, and Iranians, Afghans and Burmese.

"On April 4, eight Rohingya (Muslim) persons from Myanmar were murdered by Buddhists in the jail," she says. "I don't know why. They were stabbed. My son saw this. My son is very afraid. We are all very afraid."

A digital composite picture of a family who can never be together again thanks to the lies of people smugglers.Source: News Limited

After more than three months, the International Organisation for Migration secured their release into the community. Selvamalar immediately found a smuggler who arranged for their three-day journey by ferry and bus to Jakarta.

By April 22, the three were in Cisarua, in central West Java, the place where most asylum seekers go to register with the UNHCR in the hope of gaining legal resettlement in Australia, or to make contact with the smugglers.

She and her brother had no trouble finding the smuggler network. At least 40 brokers operate on behalf of the kingpins in the area, looking for passengers. The deal was that Selvamalar and her brother would pay $7200 each. Darmithan would travel for free.

Selvamalar says she was shown a photo of the boat she would be taking to Australia. "The smugglers say, 'Not a boat, a ship,'" she says. "We saw photo." The photo was of a luxury ocean liner.

It seems hard to believe. She knew her husband had taken a wooden boat four years ago; and surely her own recent 45 days at sea must have given her doubt. But she believed the closer she got to Australia, the better things would get.

They were taken from Cisarua to another town on the evening of July 22, where she said a large number of Sri Lankans were gathered. They were driven down to the coast, arriving on Tuesday morning.

"When we saw the boat, very shocked," she says. "But they are saying that this boat will take us to the ship."

They motored to sea for two hours. Selvamalar began to realise there was no ship. They were put on a boat that quickly began taking water through a hole in the hull. "We are very afraid," she says. "The boat is in danger."

The captain responded to passengers' pleas and turned back for Java, limping on half power for three hours until the boat swamped and began to quickly sink.

Selvamalar tells of something strange, but something we have also heard from others, that a bigger, more modern boat was just 50m from them as people began to struggle and drown.

"They are watching our boat," she says. "We say, 'Please help us.' We remove our life jackets and wave. They don't help our rescue. They are watching, watching. We called out, 'Help us, save our life.' They not help."

Selvamalar breaks off her narrative. "I want to see my baby. Will you help me?" When we make an inquiry on Selvamalar's behalf, the forensic police politely ask us to keep out of their business.

She tells what happened at sea. She had become split from her brother (who would survive) and was floating, holding Darmithan. Each had a life jacket, but she didn't know how to swim. She didn't want to float further out to sea with her boy.

"A man came and took my son," she says. "A Sri Lankan man. He could swim. I gave him my son to take him to safety, to take to land." But Darmathin arrived dead.

She does not know if the man who took her son made it back to shore. She does not know of someone stole her son's lifejacket.

When we speak to Selvamalar in the police hospital, she says someone had given her a phone so she could call her husband and tell him the news about Darmithan. He was now urgently trying to get a passport to come to Jakarta to be with his wife.

Darmasen died on the way to Australia.Source: News Limited

Selvamalar cannot let go. She cannot accept her son is dead.

"My baby was a good dancer, a very good singer," Selvamalar says. "Every day he's saying, 'Mama, I want to see my papa. When will I see my papa? When are we going to papa?'

"My baby is always saying to me, 'Don't cry mama, don't cry mama.' He was very cute, very cute.

"I wanted him to be a pilot. He was very intelligent, very intelligent."

She doesn't know what will happen now. "I don't want to go to Australia," she says. My life is my baby. My future is my baby. I want my baby. I want to see my baby."

Asked if she has heard of Kevin Rudd, Selvamalar shakes her head. "What is that?" She said she knew nothing of the government new Papua New Guinea policies, but her smugglers certainly did.

Asked what she thinks of the people smugglers, she says: "They are very cheaters. No life do they understand. Not babies, not pregnant ladies, nothing. They not understand."

Balamanokaran said he had planned to bring his wife and child to Australia next year, when he expected to get citizenship. "I wanted a life here with my wife and son," he said. "A good future, good opportunities here."

Now he wants to see the son he never knew. "I want to see my son's face because I've never seen him," he said. "I'm asking the Australian Government to let me go to Indonesia. Send me to Indonesia.

"I want to see my son and wife, if I can't do that, please bring my wife and baby here to stay with me for a couple of weeks and then send my wife back to Sri Lanka. I just want two weeks with my wife and child."

A surfing family from Coolangatta are set to have their own TV show after being approached by an American television company. Courtesy TheCoffeysOffical

THEY'RE surfing's answer to the Kardashians.

With 400,000 social media followers, a string of endorsement contracts and a US reality television show in the pipeline, Coolangatta's Coffey clan are pin-ups for surfing's Generation Next.

Ellie-Jean Coffey, 18, is making waves in and out of the water and siblings Jackson, 17, and Holly-Sue, 15, are following in her wake.

Younger sisters Ruby-Lee, 13, and Bonnie-Lou, 10, are also starting to attract attention.

With model looks, Ellie-Jean is a promoter's dream and has proven she can back it up in the surf having just taken the Australasian pro junior series.

CHECK OUT THE COFFEY'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL

An American television production crew want to make a reality show about the Coffey siblings (from left) Jackson, 17, Ellie-Jean, 18, and Holly-Sue Coffey, 15. They are pictured at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast. PIC: Luke Marsden

An American television company has already approached the family to star in a reality TV show.

However, the project has been placed on hold as the teens focus on a busy competition calendar.

Ellie-Jean heads to the US today to compete in a World Qualifying Series event, while Holly-Sue will join her in Europe for a string of events next month.

Jackson has just returned from a series of commitments in Fiji, Western Australia and Japan.

It's a far cry from the years of travelling to junior surfing competitions along the Australian east coast sleeping in the back of dad's van in beachside parking lots.

''We never thought it would take us this far,'' said Ellie-Jean.

''We all got in to surfing because it was fun, but it has led to so many other opportunities.''

Not everyone has greeted their rising profile with enthusiasm, but Ellie-Jean said they took that in their stride.

''There's definitely other girls out there that are jealous of the exposure we get,'' she said.

''They've got their own opinions, but we just try to do what works for us and right now, what we're doing is working fine.''

A SWAT team stormed the Florida apartment building during the early hours of Saturday. Picture: Charles Krupa/APSource: AP

A GUNMAN holding hostages inside a South Florida apartment complex killed six people before being shot dead by a SWAT team that stormed the building following an hours-long standoff.

Sgt Eddie Rodriguez told The Associated Press that police got a call around 6:30pm US East Coast time on Friday that shots had been fired in a building with dozens of apartments in Hialeah, just a few miles north of Miami.

Although a crisis team was able to briefly establish communication with the man, Rodriguez said talks eventually "just fell apart" with the gunman, who was holding two hostages on the fifth floor. Both of them survived when officers stormed the building early on Saturday, fatally shooting the gunman during an exchange of gunfire.

"They made the decision to go in there and save and rescue the hostages," he said.

The dead bodies of three women and two men were found at two different apartment units inside the building, which Rodriguez said was in a "very quiet neighbourhood." Another man who was walking his children into an apartment across the street was also killed. Rodriguez said it wasn't immediately clear whether the gunman took aim at him from an upper-level balcony or if he was hit by a stray bullet.

"From up there, he was able to shoot at people across the street, catching this one man who was just walking into his apartment," Rodriguez said.

The entrance to the neighborhood, which is lined with apartment buildings, remained blocked off early on Saturday. Rodriguez said police were still investigating the motive and identifying the gunman and victims.

"Investigators are talking with families of the victims, neighbours, people that were present when all this began," he said. "That way we can start to piece together this huge puzzle that we're working with."

Lord of the manor, hero of the internet, guardian of the shut-in spinster, sworn enemy of The Dog Person.

Sunbaker and prowler whose left-over food and excess hair and litterbox blankets your house with a smell which can only be described as: "I wear the pants here and you know it. Do something about it."

When you think about it, there's not much going for the cat. It's probably why people say things like "I hate cats" or "I'm going to put it in the dishwasher".

Until I met Pickle, The Girlfriend's "fur child", I was a hater. Have you ever looked into a cat's eyes for two or more seconds at a time? Nothing but scornful disdain. And cats are always there. Watching. Judging. Waiting. Feed me. Pat me. Don't pat me. Pat me again. Never touch me. OK, just a little. We're done now. Medicate me.

Now I've gotten to know Pickle (we reached an… "understanding") I've come to learn cats actually have uses. They keep you on a tight schedule. They burn your self-esteem. They photobomb your post-workout selfies. And as much as we love dogs, cats aren't so needy.

The internet loves cats. It's because we don't understand them. There's a certain curiosity and mystery to them. They drive. They read newspapers. Their grammar is impeccable. But has the novelty worn off? Has the cat had its day basking in the http-sun? Have we reached caturation point? Can't we just resume our collective dislike for the self-absorbed little douchebeasts?

I don't think so, and here's why: Cats are us and we are them. They are basically humans except they're not humans. We don't love Grumpy Cat because it's grumpy and it's a cat. We love Grumpy Cat because WE are Grumpy. We need them.

"I've always said, 'Let Bartlet Be Bartlet'."Source: Supplied

It's why we coo when they sit up in bed and watch The West Wing. It's the reason we hit Instagram the moment they stand on two feet ("He thinks he's people!"). It's the only explanation for why we give and give and give, and they only take, yet we continue to give. They're like an a***hole grandmother who spews vitriol and forgets your birthday but you love all the same.

Indeed, the cat is an enigmatic creature. Highly intelligent. Fiercely independent. And not for the needy, according to Dr Lisa from Bondi Vet.

"Their love is conditional. It's always on the cat's terms," she told news.com.au. "They love the owners if they do what they want. Cats are much more fussy than dogs. They think they're above humans. Dogs are always just 'there'. But a cat will be on the bookshelf, or on a kitchen bench, looking down on their owners, their slaves.

"They believe we are subservient to them. Some people quite like that cats are self-sufficient and happy to do their own thing: what they want, how they want and when they want. "

Oh. So that's why The Girlfriend and I crave Pickle's attention so much it HURTS. "They're highly intelligent. They're much wiser than anyone would believe," Dr Lisa added.

I don't care if they're smart. I just want their approval. I want them to look at me with loving eyes. Not sinister, cunning, judgment, watch-your-step-or-it'll-be-your-last, eyes.

"They plan and they think and tend to have that enigmatic manner about them," says Dr Lisa.

So, really, really, watch your step.

Then there's the final piece in the cat puzzle: the aging single woman, aka the Crazy Cat Lady. She collects the things for sport. She talks to them about shopping and having too much salt in their diet. She can be overheard inviting acquaintances over to their studio to "meet the gang".

But maybe the Crazy Cat Lady holds the key to unlocking the mystery. Does she know something we don't? Can she talk to them? Has she washed her hair since the summer of 2004? Let's ask this anonymous stranger how she feels:

Yeeeeeeeah. She lives alone. (Picture: Tumblr)Source: Supplied

Way to keep the mystery alive.

Chris is currently trying to convince #Pickle to LOVE HIM. Also, he's on Twitter: @christoforpaine

Spanish police have formally detained the driver of a Spanish train that derailed, killing at least 78.

SPAIN'S interior minister announced that the driver whose speeding train crashed, killing 78 people, is now being held on suspicion of negligent homicide.

Minister of Interior Jorge Fernandez Diaz announced the step against driver Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, who previously had been detained on suspicion of recklessness.

The minister also said Mr Garzon, 52, has been discharged from the hospital and taken to a police station.

Blame has increasingly fallen on the driver, with the country's railway agency saying it was his responsibility to brake before going into the high-risk curve where the train tumbled off the rails and smashed into a wall. But it's still not clear whether the brakes failed or were never used, and the driver has remained silent so far, refusing to answer police questions.

A blood-soaked Mr Garzon was photographed on Wednesday being escorted away from the wreckage, at first by civilians who had hurried to the scene of the accident and then by police, but it is not clear just what his medical status is.

Unconfirmed media reports said that Mr Garzon had injured ribs.

He had been expected to give a preliminary statement to judicial police as early as Thursday, but that process was delayed, reportedly due to health reasons. Earlier Saturday, the justice department said Mr Garzon's first appearance before a judge had been postponed until Sunday.

Video has emerged of the horrific moment a high speed train derailed in Spain's north-western Galicia region, killing dozens and injuring many more. Courtesy LiveLeak

In Wednesday's crash, the train's eight carriages packed with 218 passengers blazed far over the speed limit into a curve and violently tipped over. Diesel fuel sent flames coursing through some cabins.

The president of Adif, the Spanish rail agency, said that the driver should have started slowing the train 4 kilometres before the dangerous bend. He said signs clearly marked this point when the driver must begin to slow.

Normally, police take a first statement that is then examined by an investigating judge who must then take testimony within 72 hours of the arrest. That deadline is today.

Although that initial court hearing would be closed, it would give hints about the status of the investigation. The judge would decide whether to jail the driver as an official suspect, release him on bail, or release him without charges. If a judge finds sufficient evidence for a criminal trial, the suspect will be charged and a trial date set.

Earlier, Spanish police say the train driver accused of "recklessness" in a high-speed derailment that killed at least 78 people has refused to respond to police questions.

The driver was formally detained earlier on Friday following reports that he admitted driving at 190km/h, over twice the speed limit, at the time of the deadly crash in the northwestern region of Galicia.

Train driver Francisco Jose Garzon Amo is helped by two men as he is evacuated from the site of the horrific train accident in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Picture: AP

"The driver has refused to answer the police authorities," said a police spokesman, adding that the case will now "proceed to a judicial process as soon as possible".

Asked at a news conference earlier in the pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela why the driver was being detained, Jaime Iglesias, the Galicia police chief, said it was, "for recklessness."

A Spanish judge on Thursday ordered police to question the hospitalised driver following reports he was going twice the speed limit when the train derailed on a sharp bend on Wednesday evening just outside Santiago de Compostela.

The driver, while trapped inside his cab immediately after the accident, told railway officials by radio that the train had taken the curve at 190km/h, unidentified investigation sources told leading daily El Pais.

The speed limit on that section of track is 80km/h.

"I hope no one died because it will weigh on my conscience," the driver said, according to the paper's online edition.

This combo image from security camera video shows a train derailing in Santiago de Compostela, killing at least 78 people. The driver has reportedly admitted to speeding, saying the deaths would weigh on his conscience. Picture: AP

The grey-haired driver, pictured in the media with blood covering the left side of his face after the crash, has been with Spanish state railway Renfe for 30 years and has 13 years' experience as a driver, the rail firm said.

A security camera captured the moment when the train crashed.

The train flew off the tracks as it reportedly tore at twice the speed limit around a bend in northwestern Spain, killing at least 80 passengers and

The footage shows the train rounding a bend, making a turn to the left underneath a road overpass.

In an instant, one car tumbled off the track, followed by the rest of the locomotive, which seemed to come apart like a zipper being pulled.

The crash, which injured more than 140, is the nation's deadliest rail disaster since 1944.

A fireman carries an injured young girl from the wreckage. Picture: AFP

Mr Garzon Amo is reported to have posted a picture on the site of a train speedometer at 190km/h last year.

According to reports he also boasted about how fast he was going. The webpage has disappeared after images appeared on Spanish TV and newspaper websites.

In the CCTV footage of the crash, the train's first carriage behind the locomotive appears to come off the tracks first, slamming the tail of the locomotive into a concrete wall.

All the carriages can be seen starting to come off the tracks as the locomotive hurtles toward the camera position.

The security camera footage appears to stop at the moment that the engine crashes into it.

Carriages piled into each other and overturned in Wednesday's crash, smoke billowing from the wreckage of mangled steel and smashed windows as bodies were laid out under blankets along the tracks.

Two men comfort an injured woman next to a derailed car following the horrifice train accident. The death toll has risen to 80 people, with 95 still in hospital. Picture: AFP

Murray Hughes, consultant editor of Railway Gazette International, said it appeared that a diesel-powered unit behind the lead locomotive was the first to derail. The front engine itself quickly followed, violently tipping on to its right side as it crashes into a concrete security wall and bulldozes along the ground.

In the background, all the rear carriages can be seen starting to decouple and come off the tracks. The picture goes blank as the engine appears to crash directly into the camera.

After impact, witnesses said a fire which engulfed passengers trapped in at least one carriage most likely from the diesel fuel carried in the locomotive units.

"I saw the train coming out of the bend at great speed and then there was a big noise,'' said one eyewitness who lives beside the train line, Consuelo Domingues. ''Then everybody tried to get out of the train.''

The eight carriages derailed on a stretch of high-speed track about 4km from the station in the city, the destination of the famous El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage which has been followed by Christians since the Middle Ages.

The train was the Alvia model which is able to adapt between high-speed and normal tracks. It had left Madrid and was heading for the coastal shipbuilding town of Ferrol as the Galicia region was preparing celebrations in honour of its patron saint James.

Emergency personnel respond to the scene of the horrific train derailment in Santiago de Compostela. Spain has declared three days of mourning after the crash killed at least 80 people and injured more than 140. Picture: AP

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, a native of Santiago de Compostela, visited the scene of the accident on Thursday and declared three days of mourning.

King Juan Carlos and Crown Prince Felipe called off their public engagements out of respect for the victims.

As dawn broke, cranes brought to the scene were used to lift the carriages away from the tracks. Rescue workers collected passengers' scattered luggage and loaded it into a truck next to the tracks.

Rescuers described a scene of horror immediately after the crash. Smoke billowed from at least one carriage that had caught fire, while another had been torn into two parts.

Residents of the residential neighbourhood closest to the rail line struggled to help victims out of the toppled cars. Some passengers were pulled out of broken windows. Television images showed one man atop a carriage lying on its side, using a pickaxe to try to smash through a window. Other rescuers used rocks to try to free survivors from the fiery wreckage.

Relatives of passengers involved in the train crash comfort each other as they wait for news in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The driver has reportedly admitted to speeding, saying the train was going 190km/h in an 80km/h stretch of track. Picture: Getty

"I was at home and I heard something like a clap of thunder, It was very loud and there was lots of smoke," said 62-year-old Maria Teresa Ramos, who lives just metres from the site.

"It's a disaster, people are crying out. Nobody has ever seen anything like this," she added.

Rescue workers recovered 73 bodies from the wreckage and four more victims died later in hospital, a spokesman for the Galicia high court said.

It is the worst rail accident in Spain since 1944, when hundreds were killed in a train collision, also between Madrid and Galicia.

Rescuers tend to a victim next to a derailed car. Picture: AFP

Renfe said the train had no technical problems and had just passed an inspection on the morning of the accident.

"We will know what the speed is very soon when we consult the train's black box," a Renfe spokesman said.

The town hall of Santiago de Compostela called off concerts and firework displays that had been planned as part of the festivities in honour of its patron saint.

Hundreds of local residents and tourists attended a nearly two-hour mass in the city's imposing cathedral to pray for the victims.

Pope Francis called for prayers, while France, Poland, Italy and the European Union sent their condolences.

The accident is the third large rail disaster this month after six people died in a passenger train derailment near Paris on July 12, and 47 were killed when an oil train derailed and exploded in Canada on July 6.

Rescuers tend to victims next to derailed cars at the site of a train accident near the city of Santiago de Compostela. Picture: AFP

Earlier, public television TVE said the train may have derailed because it was speeding at the time, but a spokesman for state railway company Renfe said it was too soon to say what caused the accident.

"Deadly High Speed" the El Mundo daily's headline ran. The paper reported that the train had been travelling at 220km/h in an urban zone with a speed limit of 80km/h. The El Pais suggested the train was travelling at 180km/h.

"There are bodies laying on the railway track. It's a Dante-esque scene," Alberto Nunez Feijoo, president of the regional government, told news radio Cadena Ser.

Several injured passengers said they felt a strong vibration just before the cars jumped the tracks, according to Xabier Martinez, a photographer who talked with them after arriving at the scene as rescue workers were still removing bodies.

One passenger, Ricardo Montero, told the Cadena Ser radio station that "when the train reached that bend it began to flip over, many times, with some carriages ending up on top of others, leaving many people trapped below. We had to get under the carriages to get out.''

Another passenger, Sergio Prego, told Cadena Ser the train "travelled very fast'' just before it derailed and the cars flipped upside down, on their sides and into the air.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (centre) walks with Spain's Public Works Minister Ana Pastor, right and the President of Galicia Alberto Nunez Feijoo, second from left at crash scene. Rajoy declared three days mourning after 80 were kileld in the high-speed derailment. (AP Photo/Emilio Lavandeira)

"I've been very lucky because I'm one of the few able to walk out,'' MrPrego said.

It was the world's third major rail accident this month.

On July 12, six people were killed and nearly 200 were injured when four cars of a passenger train derailed south of Paris. On July 6, 72 cars carrying crude oil derailed in Lac-Megantic, Ontario, setting off explosions and fires that killed 47 people.

Other major train crashes in Spain include a 1944 accident involving three trains that crashed in a tunnel. That disaster produced wildly disputed death tolls ranging from the government's official count of 78 to more than 500, according to later research

In 2006, 43 people died when a subway train crashed because of excessive speed in the southern city of Valencia. In 2004, 191 died when al-Qaida-inspired terrorists detonated 10 bombs on four Madrid commuter trains.

With AP

A derailed train car is lifted by a crane at the site of a train accident in Santiago de Compostela. (AP Photo/Lalo Villar)

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Dozens of people were killed and at least 70 injured when a train derailed on the outskirts of the northern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

A train has derailed near the town of Santiago de Compostela in Spain's north west, killing at least 78 people. Picture: Twitter

The derailed train near the city of Santiago de Compostela. Picture: Twitter

Julian de Stoop has the latest on the shock resignation of Essendon chairman David Evans.

ESSENDON coach James Hird won't stand down before the ASADA report into the club's drugs saga is handed down.

That's the view of Bombers great Tim Watson, father of club captain Jobe.

Hird is increasingly isolated after the shock resignation of chairman David Evans last night, prompted in part by a physical breakdown in the changerooms after Essendon's match against Hawthorn on Friday night.

Evans was treated by club medical staff after complaining of breathlessness, having a light head and struggling with his vision after the match.

The stress of the five-month investigation into alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs, combined with revelations that he and coach James Hird were at loggerheads over conversations leading up to Essendon "self-reporting", led to Mr Evans' health deteriorating.

Bombers at risk of being gutted

James Hird today, after the resignation of David Evans. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

His stunning resignation happened less than two weeks before the ASADA-AFL investigation report is to be completed.

"He and David had a strong working relationship, they've been friends for 20 years … obviously this has taken a toll on everyone, he spoke about that post-game on Friday night and obviously David one of those people in his mind at the time and there are others too so he, like everyone else, would like this to conclude.

"But what he has shown throughout all this, James, is he's been stoic, he's been strong and he's stood his ground and he'll maintain that."

Evans' resignation has left Essendon reeling - it now has lost its chief executive and chairman within a matter of months.

Evans did not refer to personal issues or his disagreement with Hird.

He described the events as a tragedy, but was confident the club would survive.

The Essendon drugs saga has claimed its biggest casualty with chairman David Evans announcing his resignation effective immediately.

Players rally behind Evans

"I strongly believe that the best thing for the club at this stage is for a new chairperson in order to see through the next phase of this challenging and difficult time for our club," Mr Evans said.

"Leadership is tough at times and I have tried to lead with fairness and integrity and at the same time acknowledging responsibility to make the right decisions.

"I am confident that this decision is one of those."

"What is happening at our club right now is a tragedy, but I know that it will survive," Mr Evans said.

Essendon coach James Hird walks up the race after his three-quarter time address against Hawthorn on Friday night.

Kick 'pests' out of the game

Bombers officials have been deeply concerned with Mr Evans' stress levels for several days.

Watson said the drug crisis had taken a huge toll on Evans.

"I just think he's completely and utterly burnt out,'' Watson said.

"From what I now know to be true, David has been struggling with his health for some time - he's exhausted.

David Evans has stood down as Essendon chairman.

Bombers' night of crisis

"He's been under enormous strain and stress going back five months now.

"This was something he would work on full-time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week if necessary and he's maintained that.''

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou said Evans had been a "great chairman" and said he wasn't shocked by yesterday's news.

"I'd obviously spoken to David on a number of occasions. He's made a decision that's taken into account his family, his professional career and obviously he's personal well-being and so we respect that."

GWS Coach, Kevin Sheedy has thrown his support behind former Essendon chairman, David Evans. Describing him as a 'fantastic' person, Sheedy concedes he had a tough time at the club.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire said he hoped Evans was not lost to football.

"He's gone through some hard circumstances that we all know at the moment but he's always put the club first. He's been a wonderful president, a wonderful person," McGuire said on Game Day.

An emotional Hird was referring to Mr Evans at his post-match press conference on Friday night when he referred to the doping investigation "affecting people's lives permanently".

Hird left Mr Evans' side in the medical room to attend the press conference.

Drugs saga will affect lives: Hird

Former Essendon player Tim Watson says he is not completely shocked by chairman David Evans' resignation.

"It has got to the point that, if it's not over very quickly, it's going to affect people's lives permanently," Hird said.

Hird on Saturday night did not want to comment on his friend's resignation.

"David has paid a heavy personal toll with the interruption to his family and business life, with his commitment and love for his club, and the AFL applauds his efforts to make the welfare of Essendon's players his absolute priority throughout this difficult time and the AFL wishes him the very best as he steps back into private life," he said.

Essendon interim chief executive Ray Gunston said: "It is with great regret that the Essendon Football Club board has accepted the resignation of David Evans."

Essendon great Tim Watson said the players especially would miss Mr Evans.

"They see him as an outstanding leader and he's been fantastic through this whole episode," he said.

Evans says Hird a friend for life

Former Essendon player Mark McVeigh denies players at the embattled club were involved in a secret drug trial as part of their 2012 supplements program.

"They've not only lost the club president, they've lost a friend and a real ally."

Mr Evans had been under increased pressure since the Herald Sun on Thursday revealed differing versions of a telephone call he had with Mr Demetriou at Mr Evans' home on February 4, the night before the Bombers announced they wanted an investigation into the drug-taking claims.

On Friday, the Herald Sun revealed the differences between Mr Evans and Hird.

Mr Demetriou again denied he had tipped off Essendon about the then-impending Australian Crime Commission report into drugs in sport and that Essendon was the club named in the report.

Mr Demetriou, who is to fly to America on Sunday for a fact-finding mission, said the AFL would be taking legal action against the Herald Sun over its reporting of the situation.

In recent days, Mr Demetriou said he couldn't have tipped off Essendon because he didn't know which club was in ASADA's sights.

He said the call with Mr Evans did not include discussion about Essendon being the club named in the ACC report.

"He rang me to see if I knew any more and I said, 'I don't know any more David, I don't know who the club is'," Mr Demetriou said.

"I returned his phone call at 9pm that night.

"To say that I rang David Evans that night and said, 'I'm tipping you off that ASADA's about to investigate you' ... it simply didn't happen."

I appreciate very much that this will cause some consternation amongst the Essendon family.

However, I strongly believe that the best thing for the Club at this stage is for a new Chairperson in order to see through the next phase of this challenging and difficult time for our club.

The ASADA report is close to finalisation, and I believe that I have put the interests of the players and their families first in this process, and I have been guided by my duty of care to them and to the Club throughout the last 5 months.

I remain extremely hopeful that our players will be treated with fairness and dignity through the next stage, and I do trust the process that we have been subject to.

Leadership is tough at times and I have tried to lead with fairness and integrity and at the same time acknowledging responsibility to make the right decisions. I am confident that this decision is one of those.

My involvement, and indeed my family's involvement over many years at both Essendon and the AFL have given me great strength during the last 5 months, because many of the people that I deal with are close friends.

This has given me great insight and assisted in making tough decisions, but those decisions now may be seen to be clouded by those relationships or be seen as a conflict, and I am not prepared to have my decisions reflect poorly on the Club either now or in future.

It is also for slightly selfish but important reasons. I have significant responsibilities to the 100 people who work at my firm.

They have stepped up to the plate admirably and very capably and the business is thriving but it is important that I return, and this means I cannot give to Essendon what it needs over the coming months.

My business is 6 years old, and I have a clear vision of its future, and I need to get back to the business to prosecute that vision.

What is happening at our club right now is a tragedy, but I know that it will survive. I believe in the Essendon Football club and its people and it will get through this crisis with people like Paul Little, James Hird and Ray Gunston as its leaders.

The Essendon Football Club is a great institution that is bigger than all of us, and survives and thrives because of the passion of our members and supporters, and the commitment of our players and our staff.

Those of us lucky enough to serve the club must always keep in mind that we owe the club our best, not the other way around.

I would like to acknowledge the players who have been my inspiration over the last few months.

They have displayed much integrity, honesty and passion for their club. They have such a desire to play for each other.

I would also like to acknowledge the players parents. I have come to know these people and understand they have been through a lot. I thank them for their trust in me and I promise I will continue to watch over their boys in the coming months.

I urge all involved in the next stage of this process to put the interest of the players first and foremost.

I will remain a loyal servant to this great club and will be available to help the club through the final stages of the investigation.

This decision is also, finally, about my family, whose support has been unwavering, but who have also had to bear much of the stress of the last 5 months.

This process has taken its toll on me, and on those around me, and I owe it to them to hand over now for the next phase.

I will make no further comment until further notice."

AFL STATEMENT

The AFL tonight said it wished to acknowledge the service of Essendon Chairman David Evans, who this evening announced his resignation from his role.

AFL Chief Executive Andrew Demetriou said that Mr Evans had shown outstanding leadership and tremendous personal courage through a confronting, difficult period for his club and the wider game and had made a significant contribution to the Essendon Football Club.

''Essendon has been faced with one of the great challenges in the history of a proud establishment club in our competition and David has led the way over the last six months to guide the welfare of his player group and the wider club,'' Mr Demetriou said.

"These are difficult and complex matters that have been investigated, through the ASADA enquiry, and at all times David has sought to discover the facts, act in the best interests of all those under him at the club and to provide leadership on a challenging issue.''

Mr Demetriou said members and supporters of Essendon, as well as the wider football family, should acknowledge his wider work in expanding the club's base to its new home at Tullamarine and guiding the rebuild of the club to its current position entrenched in the top four.

''David has paid a heavy personal toll with the interruption to his family and business life, with his commitment and love for his club, and the AFL applauds his efforts to make the welfare of Essendon's players his absolute priority throughout this difficult time and the AFL wishes him the very best as he steps back into private life,'' he said.

ESSENDON STATEMENT FROM INTERIM CEO RAY GUNSTON

It is with great regret that the Essendon Football Club Board has accepted the resignation of David Evans.

David joined the Board in 2006, and has been Chairman since 2009.

While his successes in leading the club are many, it will be the courage and fortitude of his leadership over the last 5 months that will be remembered.

He has led a strategy that has put the interests of our players and their families first in the AFL and ASADA investigation, called the Ziggy Switkoski report which has already led to significant change, and been the face of the club during its most difficult of times.

The Board will be meeting over the coming days to make a new appointment.